Knicks Take Down Hornets on Second Night of Back-to-Back

Playing on the second night of a back-to-back, the Charlotte Hornets found themselves down early to the Knicks and were unable to make a make a comeback. Without Nick Richards, the Hornets were soundly beaten on the boards. 

After suffering from concussion-like symptoms due to a hard collision during Friday night's game, Richards was forced to sit out against New York. His absence caused major trouble for the Hornets' rebounding department. 

Charlotte gathered just 36 rebounds for the game, while New York finished with 47 of their own. That was largely the story on Saturday night, with both teams finishing with similar shooting numbers and turnovers. 

Four of the Knicks' five starters scored in double figures, while the Hornets had just three players finish with more than seven points. 

Best of the night:

Brandon Miller was arguably the Hornets' best player in his second game back from injury. He logged a career-high 29 points while shooting 10-for-15 from the floor. The rookie looked fresh and helped keep Charlotte in the game for much of the night. 

Worst of the night:

P.J. Washington and Gordon Hayward both struggled mightily in this one, combining for seven points on 2-for-17 shooting. The Hornets will need much more from their wing players going forward. 

Stat of the night:

The Hornets were once again held far below their average for points in the paint. Coming in averaging 60.4 points in the paint per game, Charlotte was limited to just 36 without Nick Richards. 

Highlight of the night:

LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges connected on a lob dunk for the first time this season, with Ball finding Bridges for a pair of slams in the first half.